Far away from the mines of the Colorado Plateau, the first nuclear reactor in the world was built in Washington State. Here, uranium was used to create plutonium at Hanford, transmuting from a helpful ore to a nagging waste. As more atomic veterans died from radiation exposure, their families sought to hold someone accountable — and though it would come back to uranium country eventually, those outside of Colorado would be the first to blaze the trail.

Find transcripts, references, and photos for the series at ⁠⁠www.aleccowan.com/boomtown

In this episode:

Docents at the Manhattan Project B Reactor Historic Landmark in Hanford, Washington. John Findlay, professor emeritus at the University of Washington and author of "Atomic Frontier Days: Hanford and the American West." Bob Ince, one-time uranium miner from Gateway, Colorado. Trisha Pritikin, personal injury plaintiff in Hanford downwinder litigation (oral history interview). Michele Gerber, Hanford site historian (oral history interview). Veronica Taylor, a member and elder of the Nez Perce Tribe (oral history interview). Kirk Gladwin, president of the National Cancer Benefits Center.